The Fishing Trip
by steampunk-archer
Summary: after all the drama that has happened, Neal just wanted to try and reconnect with his father and spend time with his own son.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Fishing Trip

disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time, it's stories or characters.

Summary: Neal trys to get his father to spend some quality time with Henry and himself.

author"s note: this idea came to me while I was on the train, and it went past the harbor.

for those waiting for the next chapter of Helping Henry,I am almost done with the next chapter.

"No, I will not go fishing with you." Mr. Gold argued with his grown son.

Neal tried his best not to yell at his father.

Ever since Tamara and Greg and the whole being sucked into a portal to the Enchanted forest thing, Neal had tried his best to reconnect with his son and his father.

"Come on pops, Henry wants to spend time with you." He paused. "what better way to spend some father/ son time then fishing? it was either this or hunting."

Gold humphed and Neal could help hiding the smirk on his face.

The pair were outside the Storybrooke school waiting for Henry. Neal had asked his father to come with him to pick up the kid; he forgot the part where he had stashed fishing gear for all three of them in his car.

"oh come on papa, it was Emma's idea. She thought it would be good for us to bond."

The older man sighed. "she just wanted you out of the house, with the new baby coming she wanted some time to herself." he glared at his boy. "You know I'm right, Bae."

Neal nodded. "well.. yeah, I have been kinda getting on her nerves. She also wanted Henry and I to spend some time together."

Rumple sat down on a bench, Neal sitting next to him.

It had been four month since they had all returned to Storybrooke, Henry had been rescued and Neal had been found alive. The newest member of the family having been conceived the night they all discovered Neal alive and well.

Their enemy had been defeated but at a price. To rescue his grandson Rumple had been drained of all his magic; nearly being killed. "why won't you come, papa? I already told Henry you would."

"Really Bae?" he sighed

"Why would you tell him that before even consulting me?"

Neal just looked at his father with those puppy dog eyes… the same eyes that Belle said he gave her sometimes, and the same puppy eyes that he'd seen Henry use on his parents.

"Apparently some things run in the family." Rumple fiddled with his cane. "as you might know, son, I am a mere mortal now. what if I fall into the water? I have never been a good swimmer." he indicated his crippled leg.

"Henry and I would never let anything like that happen to you."

More of the puppy eyes.

Rumple sighed, just then a stream of children came pouring out of the school building.

"Henry!" Neal called over towards his son who was talking with a group of six of his classmates; most of them girls.

Neal stood and smiled. "Henry has become quite popular since Neverland, especially with the ladies."

Rumple rolled his eyes. "he only has eyes for Grace….even without the seer's powers I can see that."

Henry said good-bye to his fangirls and joined his father and grandfather.

"so, are we ready?" the boy asked

Rumple grumbled. now he was getting the puppy looks from his grandson.

"I don't think I can go Henry." he told the child.

"My leg is acting up." Rumple stood, leaning on his cane more then he usually did. He limped slowly toward Neal's car.

He heard his son mumble something about being a liar.

Henry's face fell and took on one of concern. Apparently the boy didn't hear his father.

"Oh.. thats ok, Grandpa." He walked along side his grandfather.

"do you need help?" there was genuine concern in his eyes.

Neal decided to "assist" his father.

"yeah Henry, when his leg bothered him in the enchanted forest I would always help papa, I'd offer him my arm when he was especially tired." Neal smirked when his father glared at him; Rumple didn't want to let the ruse fall knowing it would upset Henry that he lied.

Henry, wanting to be of use, offered Rumple his arm. Rumple grumbled but took Henry's offered arm. After helping his grandfather into the front seat of the car, Henry tossed his backpack into the backseat and hopped in.

"you know papa, just for that lie, your leg really is going to start bothering you." the son whispered to his father.

Rumple only stared ahead. "Just drive." he ordered.

"Maybe we can bring over the fish we catch your house for dinner, grandpa!" Henry said excitedly; wanting Rumple involved in the father and son bonding somehow.

It broke Rumple's heart that he'd lied to the boy, Damm, he'd grown soft.

"Henry my boy, I do believe my leg is feeling a bit better. I think I can spend the rest of the day fishing with you and Bae."

Neal nodded his approval and turned the car toward the harbor.

"Really!" Henry exclaimed "thats great!"

He took a worn baseball cap out of his bag and placed it on his head.

"I bet you were a great fisherman back in the old land."

Neal snorted. "Not really son, I did most of the fishing and hunting for your grandfather and I back in the Enchanted Forest."

Henry shrugged. "Thats ok, grampus taught me a few things about hunting and fishing and stuff like that. I can show you what he taught me!"

"Oh goody." Rumple said dryly from the front seat.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

fishing trip part 2

Disclaimer: Yeah, Once Upon a time is still not mine.

The car stopped at the docks, right by the Jolly Roger.

"Please tell me the pirate didn't loan you his ship for a simple fishing trip." Rumple remarked dryly from the front seat.

Baelfire smirked. "No papa." He got out of the car and popped the trunk. Henry was already at his father's side , helping with their gear. "I bought Grumpy…er Leroy's boat."

Gold nodded. " Now how much did you pay for it?"

"5,500."

Gold scoffed "It's worth less then that."

Neal shrugged.

"Come on, pops. Lets go get some dinner for tonight." He clapped a hand on the older man's shoulder.

"This is ridicules." Gold remarked as he sat in a chair with a fishing pole in his hands. Henry sat next to him.

All three were wearing life vests and hadn't caught anything in the three hours they had been out on the water.

The start of their trip hadn't gone very smoothly.

%%%%%%%%% flashback%%%%%

While helping his father board the boat, both men had lost their footing. Neal pushed his father away in time but in doing so fell into the water.

Gold fell backward on the hard ground. Henry, hearing the splash and a yell came running from the other side of the boat. The boy looked from his grandfather to his father who was treading water by the boat and muttering curses.

"Dad!" The twelve year old boy cried and quickly grabbed a life preserver and tossed it Neal.

"I'm fine, Henry, get your grandpa his cane." Neal sputtered as he grabbed a hold of the life preserver.

Henry nodded and got back on land. He picked up his grandfather's cane and helped him to his feet. "Thank you, Henry."

"Baelfire." The father called; panic in his voice.

"I'm fine, papa." Came Bae's reply as he hauled himself out of the water.

"This doesn't bode well for the rest of the day." Gold mumbled.

%%%%%%% Flashback%%%%%%

Henry took a bite out of his peanut butter and Jelly sandwich. "papa, I don't think we are gonna catch anything." he sighed as he sat between his father and grandfather.

Gold nodded and tugged yet again at his life vest. "The boy is right son, it's getting late and we haven't caught anything. It's been a disaster so far. " he sighed. "you ended up in the bay, my grandson got a splinter in his thumb plus someone forgot to pack some food." he glared at his son.

Henry offered Rumple the rest of his sandwich which he had saved from earlier that day. "you can have the rest of my peanut butter and jelly, grandpa."

the older man shook his head. "no, my boy, you finish it." he replied more gently, then at Baelfire. "and it's getting colder out."

Bae loved his papa but sometimes he could be a real pain in the ass.

"Ok, so I didn't plan this out all the way." he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "next time you plan the bonding experience." he sighed as his father humphed.

"Lets stay for another hour and then head back, ok Papa?"

"alright."

"I hope mom has some dinner waiting for us." Henry piped up.

"you just ate a sandwich." Bae said.

"he's a growing boy, son." Rumple stated matter of faculty.

Henry smiled at his grandfather.

"I'll help keep you warm if your cold, Grandpa." the boy snuggled up closer towards his grandfather's side.

"Your Grandpa, is just being a cranky old man, Henry. It's not that cold out."

Rumple glared at his son in indignation.

About ten minutes later Henry felt a tug on his fishing line. "I got a bite!" the boy cried and jumped to his feet excitedly grabbing the pole.

"oi henry!" Rumple cried and grabbed ahold of his grandson's pants before he was pulled over board.

"careful boy, you got quite a big one there." Rumple continued.

He smiled at Henry and also grabbed henry's fishing pole; helping him to reel in the fish.

Neal smiled as he watched his son and father. THIS is what he had wanted to happen, his father to open up and spend some quality time with his grandson.

"almost, grandpa! we almost got him!" Henry cried happily.

Unknown to grandfather and grandson, Neal had brought a camera onboard on the off chance that a moment such as this might happen.

He smirked, wondering what his families' reaction to this photo would be.

A bit later Emma and Belle were having some hot cocoa at Belle and Gold's house when the door opened and in walked Neal, Henry and Rumple.

The two women stood and entered the main living room. "How did fishing go?"

Emma asked.

"Great!" Henry held up his catch. "Grandpa helped me reel it in."

"did he now." Belle said with a sweet smile aimed at her husband who limped over to her and kissed her on the cheek.

"I did indeed, my love." he paused a moment.

"I had a good time." he turned to Emma, Neal and Henry.

"perhaps next time we can all have a picnic."

Neal nodded. "sounds like a great idea papa." he hugged his father. "I had a great time today, pops. I'll see you later. I love you."

Rumple kissed his son on the cheek. "I love you too son, I love you too."

The End


End file.
